There are slight differences in each model's design -- especially between the Pro models and the rest. They also get
larger -- and more expensive -- as you go down the list.

The iPad Mini 4 is Apple's base model, offering the smallest screen size
and lowest specs. It also is one of the only iPad on sale from Apple that doesn't support the Apple Pen.

However, it's perfectly capable of running most apps, playing games, and streaming HD video with no problems. It's
also the most affordable option in the lineup.

For many, we think the iPad 9.7-inch is the best iPad for most
buyers.

It has a sharp screen, plenty of storage, supports the Apple Pencil, and has performance that will make most buyers
happy. It's even capable of using heavier photo or video editing apps and playing the latest games at respectable
settings.

While it doesn't have quite the detail and color accuracy of the Pro options, you get a very capable tablet at a
much lower cost than the Pro lineup.

The iPad Pro 10.5-inch is in an odd spot at the moment. As the older of
the Pro devices, it features the older design with a fingerprint scanner, home button, and larger bezels.

But the price difference between the iPad Pro 10.5 and the iPad
Pro 11 isn't much. So if you're looking to give the Pro series a try, we'd recommend jumping for the iPad
Pro 11 if you can afford it.

It offers ProMotion screen technology that dynamically adjusts the display's refresh rate to keep motion fluid and
snappy alongside TrueTone color adjustments that alter the temperature and color of the display based on ambient
lighting.

Both features give the screen a little bit of extra pop that sets it apart from the crowd and makes it perfect for
video editing, photo editing, and other more graphics-intensive work.

But for the average person, they're not must-have features. So a lower-end model is likely a better value.

At the top of Apple's lineup, you'll find the iPad Pro 12.9. It's
identical to the Pro 11 in terms of specs, but adds a little extra screen
size and possibly 2GB more RAM.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an iPad

Now that you know the options available, you need to figure out which iPad model fits your needs best. There are a
few things to consider when comparing Apple's iPad series of tablets.

Price

Apple's iPad options cover a wide range of prices. You can get a basic iPad Mini 4 for a few hundred dollars. But the iPad Pro 12.9 hits four-figures with no problem.

So take a look at how much you want to spend to start limiting your choices. Then you can see which features are important to you and narrow things down accordingly.

Usage

Apple has created an interesting situation in their latest iPad line-up...

While iPad Pros are certainly some the most powerful and refined tablets ever created, many reviewers argue
that they are actually overkill for the average consumer.

Most reviewers recommend the iPad Pro 10.5, iPad
Pro 11, and iPad Pro 12.9 for graphic designers or business
professionals that need a tablet for work and plan to use their tablet often. They offer powerful performance for
resource-intensive tasks and an accurate display for those doing color-sensitive work -- such as photo editing or
design.

Otherwise, both the iPad Mini 4 and iPad
9.7 offer more than enough performance for playing the latest games, surfing the web, watching video, streaming
music, or just about anything you might want to do.

And the lower-end tablets still offer Retina displays -- there's just no ProMotion or TrueTone. However, Apple is
known for the quality of its displays.

So while the screens on the iPad Mini 4
and iPad 9.7 aren't the best that Apple has to offer, they're still
better than a large portion of Android tablet displays and are excellent
in terms of brightness, detail, and colors.

If you're looking for an ultra-portable option, the iPad Mini 4 is hard to
beat.

It's large enough to read and operate with ease, but small enough to slip in a bag and use one-handed --
something that can't be said for the iPad Pro 12.9.

Connectivity

Choosing an iPad model with LTE connectivity will add to both the
purchase cost and the lifetime cost as you pay each month to keep your data plan connected.

But is it worth the added price?

The answer will depend on where you live and how you plan to use your iPad.

With free Wi-Fi available in more places, you might not need LTE support as much as you'd think.

But if you want the convenience of being able to connect virtually anywhere regardless of Wi-Fi access,
you'll need to make room in your budget accordingly.

Storage

Since you cannot expand the storage in an iPad, it's important to choose a good amount before you buy.

Thankfully, all iPads offer at least 32GB of storage and some models -- such as the iPad Mini 4 and iPad Pro 11 -- start with more.

This is probably enough storage space for casual use, but if you want to install a lot of apps or plan to store music or video on your tablet, choosing a model with more storage will offer added flexibility and keep you from having to rely on cloud storage or constantly uninstall apps to make room for new ones.

Accessories

On top of the base tablet costs, you should also consider the added cost of any accessories you might need.

Most models support the Apple Pen -- an active stylus that allows you to use the tablet for graphics work,
hand-write notes, and general expands the functionality of the tablet.

Best Overall

For most people, the iPad 9.7 (2018) will be the best option. For a fair
price, you get excellent performance, a good display, and the rock-solid iPad experience that has made these tablets
so popular.

Sure, it's a little behind the iPad Pro series, but the price is significantly lower and the specs of the iPad
9.7 are still more than enough to handle most tasks with ease.

The screen is large enough to make games and media pop while remaining comfortable enough for extended use without a
kickstand or shifting it from hand to hand as well.

If you plan to use your tablet for graphic design, video editing, or other color-sensitive work, we might recommend
upgrading to an iPad Pro 11 or 12.9.
Otherwise, the iPad 9.7 is likely to cover all of your needs with ease.

Bottom line...
The iPad 9.7 strikes the perfect balance for most. It's great for everything from playing games and checking email to streaming video and chatting with friends. All at a price toward the lower end of the iPad lineup.

Best iPad for Kids, Traveling, Casual Use

The iPad Mini 4 is a great choice for the budget-conscious buyer (or when
buying a tablet for kids that might be a little rough with their toys). It's also affordable enough for those that
only want a tablet for occasional use.

Its smaller display makes it perfect for tossing in your back, reading on the plane, and generally bringing it along
with you on your adventures unlike some of the larger options in the iPad lineup.

Despite being the entry-level option in Apple's selection, it is no slouch in terms of performance and still
features the same upscale iPad design for which its pricier siblings are known.

Bottom Line...
The iPad Mini 4 is proof that low-end options don't have to feel cheap. It
brings an excellent balance of affordability and portability that keep it one of the most popular options in Apple's
lineup.

The Apple iPad Pro 11 is the cheapest option for buying into the latest
generation of Apple's premiere tablet series.

The screen isn't just larger than the iPad 9.7 (2018) but it also
includes ProMotion and TrueTone -- two technologies designed to improve the smoothness of motion on the screen and
optimize the color based on your surroundings.

The A12X Bionic processor offers enough power to handle anything you throw at the tablet with ease while the larger
display makes it ideal for doing more productivity-oriented tasks, such as word processing, image editing, and
checking large amounts of email.

Of course, the tablet can play just as hard as it works, so if you're looking to play the latest mobile games at
full settings, the iPad Pro 11 has you covered there as well.

And the four-speaker audio array offers a listening experience for music and video that you won't find on any other
tablet -- except for the larger iPad Pro 12.9 which features the
same speakers.

Bottom line...The iPad Pro 11 is the sweet spot in Apple's 2018 iPad Pro lineup. It
offers a larger screen with the best tech that Apple has on offer at a price less than the even larger Apple
iPad Pro 12.9.

While many Android tablets will let you add microSD cards or even
connect USB hard drives to expand storage or transfer files, iPads limit you to the internal storage of the
tablet.

This means it's very important to choose a model that will store everything you need unless you want to spend
time uploading and downloading files from cloud storage or uninstalling apps to make room for new ones.

While you can unlock your iPad and hand it to your friend or child, iPads only officially support a single
account per tablet. This means you cannot give your kids access to your apps or let your friend check their
Facebook feed without also possibly allowing them to access your apps and personal information.

Fortunately, most of these plans are cheaper than the monthly plans you use on your phone. However, some
providers will require you to have a mobile phone plan along side your tablet or
data-only plan before you can access the cheaper tablet data rates.

While this is partly a matter of preference, there are a few reason to consider the various color options in the iPad lineup.

Some reviewers note that the white bezels of the lighter colors make it easier on the eyes for frequent web browsing or reading while the black bezel of darker colors make the screen feel larger when viewing movies or tv shows and playing games.

Of course, if you get an iPad Pro with it's tiny bezels, this is less important.

Lighter iPad colors -- such as white or silver -- are more prone to smudges and scuffs but darker iPad colors -- such as black and space gray -- are more prone to scratches and fingerprints.

Finally, darker iPad colors tend to have higher resell values as they're more popular. So if you plan to upgrade in a year or two and want to maximize your trade-in or sell your old tablet to fund your new one, black and space gray are best.

Used and refurbished iPads are a great way to save money as long as you buy from a reputable vendor.

Apple even offers refurbished iPads on their website. While they're one of the higher-priced options, you can count on solid support and high-quality refurbishing.

You can also check online classifieds, eBay, Amazon, or used electronics sites.

For a full list of options, check our used phone buying guide. While it's geared toward phones instead of tablets, many of the sites listed there also sell tablets and other electronics and have a reputation you can trust.

Yes. However, they will need an email account -- or will need to set up a new email account -- to setup the
tablet once they receive your gift.

There is currently no way to buy an iPad as a gift and have it arrive from Apple setup for another person.
However, most people will still appreciate your generosity, even if it still needs a bit of setup when they
unwrap it.

Tablets are great for work processing and other productivity tasks, but if you prefer a physical mouse and keyboard over touchscreens, you might find tablets a bit odd to use.

Taking care of the keyboard concern is simple. Just buy one of the official iPad keyboards from Apple or pick up any Bluetooth keyboard with iOS support. Then you just need to pair it like you would any other Bluetooth device.

Unfortunately, you cannot connect a mouse (Bluetooth, USB, or otherwise) to an iPad unless you're willing to jailbreak your tablet. This is because iOS does not natively support a cursor.

We won't cover the information here because it's quite in-depth. But if you're comfortable with your abilities, a quick Google search should offer the steps for the jailbreaking and mouse pairing process.

This is mostly a matter of personal preference. As free Wi-Fi is easier to find these days, having LTE on your tablet isn't quite as important as it once was.

However, if you're in an area where Wi-Fi is sparse, LTE connectivity might prove useful. Just keep in mind that it will add to the total cost of your tablet to keep your data connection running.

Final Thoughts

As one of the first mainstream tablets ever made, Apple's iPad lineup continues to dominate the tablet market.

However, when you get to the upper-end iPad models, prices increase quickly. So knowing what you need in a tablet
and the differences between the various models are essential to finding a good fit -- both in terms of features and
value.

If you're looking for a tablet for occasional use or use on the go, the iPad
Mini 4 is an excellent option.

If you need a tablet for work, the iPad Pro series offers performance and displays that other tablets simply cannot
touch.

P.S. Looking for tablet options for your kids and find Apple's prices a little high for your liking? We've rounded
up a list of highly-ranked, affordable tablets for kids that won't
leave you waking up from nightmares of cracked screens and replacement fees every night.

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